


for every woman you will leave an open door

by emily_hufflepuff



Category: The Last Kingdom (TV)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 16:35:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29263632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emily_hufflepuff/pseuds/emily_hufflepuff
Summary: Lord Uhtred and his men travel north with Aethlestan. When they stop for the night in a small Mercian village, the young boy's life is put in danger and a woman from Finan's past comes to their aid.
Relationships: Eadith/Finan (The Last Kingdom), Finan (The Last Kingdom)/Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7





	for every woman you will leave an open door

**Author's Note:**

> This is just something that came into my head. Hope you enjoy xxx
> 
> Title is the opening line from 'Runaground' by James.

It had been several weeks since Lord Uhtred and his men, accompanied by Eadith, had left Wessex with Aethlestan. They were travelling north towards Northumbria as Edward had requested, although Uhtred was still unsure where they would go once they got there.

He knew that the boy was in danger but what form that danger would take and how imminent it would be he did not know. One thing he was sure about was that Lord Aethelhelm was not a man to be trusted, nor would he put it past him to order the murder of a child if it meant furthering his own interests. Uhtred had decided that until he knew more of Aethelhelm’s intentions it was best to get Aethlestan as far away from Wessex as he could.

It had been a few days since they had last had a good nights rest, having made makeshift camps for the last few nights. It was therefore a great relief amongst the men when Uhtred announced they would be staying overnight in a small village up ahead. The promise of a warm bed and plenty of ale lifting everyone’s spirits.

They entered the village just as the light was beginning to fade. They led their horses towards the stables and made sure they were fed and watered before walking towards the alehouse. Finan couldn’t quite place it but this village felt familiar – which wasn’t surprising as most villages looked the same and with the amount of travelling he did with Uhtred it was likely they had stopped for the night here before.

They entered the alehouse, the locals barely acknowledging them apart from odd weary glances.

‘Hello Finan’.

‘Oh hello-‘ Finan began as he tried desperately to remember the name of the stern woman standing in front of them, ‘er, Hilda?’

She replied with giving him a sharp slap across his face. He touched his now stinging cheek gingerly. He wasn’t sure he entirely deserved that.

Hilda then turned to Finan’s companions, who were all looking utterly shocked and confused (except Uhtred who couldn’t help but snigger at his friend’s embarrassment), and she gave them a wide smile.

‘Forgive me Lord, please come in and make yourself at home. Will you be needing rooms for the night? We have some available.’

Uhtred nodded and paid the woman for their rooms before she led them over to a table at the back of the crowded room. She placed two large jugs of ale on the table in front of them, giving Aethlestan a friendly pat on the shoulder before glaring at Finan as she turned away.

It had been many years since Hilda had last seen Finan. She thought that he looked a lot older, he had more lines on his face and he was littered with more scars, but she also thought he seemed happier than when she saw him last. She wondered if it had something to do with young boy and red-haired woman that sat next to him. She watched as Finan ruffled the boy’s hair and put an arm around the woman.

It seemed Finan had finally settled down with a family. _Miracles truly do occur_ , she thought chuckling to herself.

Eadith couldn’t help but keep looking over to where the woman was serving ale behind the bar. She had known that Finan had slept with plenty of women but it was still uncomfortable when they came across one.

She watched as Hilda walked over to their table, a devious smile across her face. She placed a small jug of ale in front of Eadith.

‘On the house, Lady.’

Eadith was confused, what had she done to warrant free drinks from this complete stranger.

She laughed. ‘Trust me, you’ll need it if you’re this bastard’s woman!’ Laughing again as she lightly smacked the back of Finan’s head.

As she went back towards the bar, Finan’s cheeks seemed to get redder. Eadith couldn’t help but laugh at his embarrassment. Finan looked at her and then to the others at their table who were also failing to contain their own laughter.

‘I hate all of you,’ he grumbled into his cup. At this moment Aethlestan made a great yawn, giving Finan an excuse to leave his giggling friends behind as he began leading the young prince to his bed.

Hilda watched as he carefully lifted the boy in his arms, obviously saying something funny as he did so as the boy began to giggle. She had never thought of Finan as being the kind of guy who would make a good father, but she had clearly been mistaken. The boy obviously adored him, and the man clearly loved the boy.

Eadith decided she wanted to talk to Hilda. Perhaps the ale had given her more courage but she thought the women seemed friendly enough.

‘Hello, I’m Eadith.’

‘Hilda,’ she replied, extending her hand for Eadith to shake.

‘Is this your alehouse?’ she enquired, although it was common for women to work and run alehouses, it was unusual for a woman to own one.

‘Yes, all mine!’ she replied happily, ‘My bastard husband, god rest his role, left it to me.’

‘I’m sorry for your loss.’

Hilda laughed at that, placing her hand on Eadith’s arm. ‘Don’t be, I’m glad to be rid of him! Do you and your friends want more ale?’

‘Oh, yes please.’ Eadith’s curiosity then got the better of her. ‘How do you know Finan?’

‘Ah, you know how it is. Few nights. Took my mind off my joyless, aresling of a husband – may he rest in peace. But it was many years ago now,’ she finished, offering Eadith a friendly smile.

‘Why did you slap him?’

‘Because the bastard never said goodbye! One minute he was here, the next he was off riding with his lord to god knows where never to return again. I knew that he would leave, it wasn’t like he had promised me anything more than a few nights of fun, but still –‘ simply shrugging to finish her sentence.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Finan came back downstairs from putting Aethlestan to bed and joined the others, Eadith resting her head on his shoulder. Osferth began to get rather drunk, much to Sihtric’s delight and Uhtred’s dismay – he was still aware of the potential danger posed to Aethlestan and would have preferred his men to have clear heads.

The alehouse slowly began to clear as the night dragged on, the locals returning home ready for the next day’s work. Only the village drunks and those staying at the alehouse remained. Hilda sent home the serving girls, she could handle the last customers on her own and the poor girls looked shattered.

Just as they were reaching closing time, Hilda virtually throwing the final drunk villagers out into the street, a group of six men arrived. They were warriors, covered in scars and carrying a multitude of weapons.

‘I’m sorry we are closed.’

‘If you value your life you will get out of our way.’

Hilda glanced from the doorway to the Lord Uhtred’s men, now the only ones on the ground floor of the alehouse, everyone else having gone home or gone up to bed. She caught Finan’s eye and he instantly stood, drawing his weapons, causing the others to follow suit.

She slowly stepped aside, allowing the men through. She shrank back as far she could until her back was pressed against the wall, trying to distance herself from the men who had just entered. The way that they eyed Lord Uhtred and his men made her reach for the knife she kept concealed under her apron – she couldn’t see this ending well.

‘Where is he? The boy - we know you have him. Give him up and we will let you live.’

 _Boy? Why would anyone be after a child – especially a child of Finan’s, what could possibly special about him_? Wondered Hilda.

‘We do not know of any boy,’ Uhtred replied calmly, stepping forward towards the men, drawing his sword. ‘Leave now and perhaps we will let _you_ live.’

There was silence for a moment, Finan drawing Eadith behind him so as to protect her from harm – although Eadith had drawn a weapon of her own. Then the small alehouse erupted with shouts and the clanging of metal as the two groups of men did battle. Hilda watched in terror as blood flew everywhere after Osferth’s sword went straight through one of the intruder’s throats.

As the carnage continued, Hilda caught sight of one of the unknown men sneaking up the stairs to the bedrooms.

_Oh no you don’t._

Hilda ran up the stairs after him, clutching the knife in her hand. She didn’t understand what was going on, she had no idea what they could possibly want with the boy, but she knew she wasn’t going to stand by and let them hurt a child.

As she reached the top of the stairs, she caught sight of the man entering the room Aethlestan was sleeping in. Creeping across the hallway, trying to stay as silent as possible, she reached the open doorway.

The man had his back to her, his sword drawn as he hovered over the bed where the boy slept. Treading as lightly as she could, Hilda walked as close as she dared before plunging her dagger into the man’s back.

Howling in pain, he turned towards her, waving his sword madly in her direction. Pulling her knife from the man’s flesh, she dodged his attacks before she stabbed him again in the stomach. He cried out again, falling to his knees.

Hilda slit his throat for good measure.

She noticed a set of scared eyes looking up at her.

‘It’s okay, you’re okay,’ Hilda whispered as she went over to the boy. As she reached to comfort him she realised she was covered in blood and her hands were shaking.

She had never killed anyone before. She had just taken a life. The realisation of what she had just done slowly washed over her.

Aethlestan understood, taking her shaking hands in his and giving them a squeeze.

This surprised Hilda; not only was this boy seemingly unfazed by the fact he had just witnessed a gruesome death but he also seemed to have such maturity beyond his young years.

They walked from the room and down the stairs to the others hand in hand. She watched as Sihtric dispatched the last of the men with an axe to his neck. Uhtred, Osferth, Finan, Sihtric and Eadith were all covered in blood but seemed to have not been harmed badly.

They all stared in silence as they caught sight of the pair, taking in the unimaginably large amount of blood that covered Hilda.

Aethlestan let go of Hilda’s hand so he could run to where Finan and Eadith were standing, both of them wrapping their arms around him once they were sure he was unharmed. They both looked at her with a grateful smile and Lord Uhtred nodded his head in thanks.

‘We need to go – now!’ Uhtred ordered. More could be coming and they had to get on the road and get as far away from here as possible.

‘I’m coming with you.’

They all turned to look at Hilda in surprise.

‘I can’t stay here! I just killed a man – the Thane will have me executed.’ That was partly true – the Thane was not a fair nor just man and she did not know how she would adequately explain what had happened; but really she wanted to help protect the boy, whoever he was. She had no family left in the village, nothing holding her from leaving.

Uhtred looked at her sceptically before finally nodding. Hilda gathered all the silver she owned plus a few loaves of bread off the kitchen table before running to join the men in the stable. She took a horse that had belonged to one of the men who now lay dead on the alehouse floor – they weren’t going to be needing it again.

They rode hard and fast, putting as much distance between them and the village as they could. Not knowing where fate would take them next.


End file.
